Swine Validation  
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2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas Swine Validation      
Swine tag orders for the 2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas opens April 1, 2024. Please visit  http://validate.texasffa.org/ to submit your orders. Tag orders may only be placed by the county validation chair. All pigs (barrows, registered gilts and cross gilts must be validated) showing at the State Fair of Texas and Heart of Texas must be validated.

We will begin using 840 Premise ID tags for the 2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas validation program. Our tag numbers will be specific to the validation program. If a tag is lost, we will follow the same protocol as in the past. Lost tags MUST be replaced with one of our validation program issued tags. If you use a personal premise id tag, or if you obtain a tag from a breeder or a veterinarian, the tag will be void and your pig(s) will be removed from validation!  Replacement tags can only be obtained from your validation chair or from the Swine Validation Coordinator at the 2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas Shows. 

Please read all forms very carefully, as there have been changes.  Failure to do so could directly affect the eligibility of the exhibitor.  All changes have been highlighted in yellow.  

All 2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas must be paid in full on or before July 15, 2024.  Please print your invoice after submitting your order and remit payment.  Please write the county name on the outside of the payment envelope, for faster identification.

County officials will need their county password to login to the system to place orders, print invoices and forms, submit tag/ear notch corrections and complete the student tag information. If you do not know your county's login password, please contact Tammy Glascock with the Texas FFA office at tammy@texasffa.org.

2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas Stock Shows Swine Validation Ordering/Process      

Swine tag orders for the 2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas Shows opens on April 1, 2024. Tag orders placed between April 1 – April 30, 2024 will be $15.00 per tag. Tags ordered May 1 - June 7, 2024 will be $18.00. Please note that tags can only be ordered by the county validation chair.

New: The maximum amount that a county can charge for a tag over the original cost is $5.00.

Tags ordered in April will begin shipping during the second week of June 2024. These tags will be shipped from DataMars, and the shipment will also contain the newly revised hair envelope which inlcudes the ear notch drawing.  All other documents can be found and downloaded at https://www.texasffa.org/swine-validation. Tags ordered after May 1, 2024 will be shipped from the Texas FFA office on or after June 1, 2024.

Validation of 2024 barrows and gilts showing at the 2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas must occur within the presence of the swine validation committee between June 1 and June 30, 2024.  Under no circumstances should tags be handed out.

All materials and any unpaid orders must be postmarked by July 15, 2024 to the Austin office.  To ensure timely receipt and posting of your payment, please DO NOT include your payment in your validation materials box.

VALIDATION SCHEDULING DEADLINE:  April 15TH - make sure to email your forms to tammy@texasffa.org.  If you haven't done so already, make sure to get your form emailed to Tammy ASAP!

***IMPORTANT***
County validation chairs are highly encouraged to print the order invoice immediately after placing an order and submit for payment.  This will prevent the county account from being blocked for the next ordering cycle.

Please see the chart below in the FAQ section regarding validation/tagging requirements for the 2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas Shows. 

The 2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas Stock Shows Validation Checklist and all remaining  documents have been updated.  You can find them at the bottom of this page. Please make sure you are using the current version of the forms, and that all materials are complete and included when mailing in your validation materials.

Scroll down to the bottom of this page to review the Swine Validation Workshop presentation and watch videos covering the validation process and validation paperwork presented at the 2022 and 2023 ATAT Conference!***

2024 Texas Spring Major Livestock Show tag orders begin April 1, 2024. To submit your orders, please visit http://validate.texasffa.org/ .

County Validation Chairs Please Note:  Your county swine validation account balance must be in good standing, or you will not be able to order 2024 State Fair of Texas / heart of Texas Livestock Show tags.  Please make sure all balances for previous orders are paid prior to the April 1, 2024 opening date.

County validation chairs will need their county password to login to the system to place orders, print forms, submit tag/ear notch corrections and complete the student tag information. If you do not know your county's login password, please contact Tammy Glascock (tammy@texasffa.org)).


The swine validation system will close July 15, 2024 for all data input. After that date, all changes to the online tag assignment system will be done through the State Swine Validation Coordinator (tammy@texasffa.org).  All forms contain instructions regarding this change.

The gilt registration paper upload system http://validate.texasffa.org/gilt will close on July 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. All registered gilt information and paper upload must be completed by the deadline. NO EXCEPTIONS!  Please note that state validation tag numbers are required in order to input required information into the data system for the registered/purebred gilts.


2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas Livestock Show Validation Process Information

Only the Swine Validation Chairman from each county may order tags.

COST:    April 1 - April 30, 2024                           $15.00 each
                 May 1 - June 7, 2024                              $18.00 each
               
                    ***All orders will ship 2-3 day priority mail.***

New: The maximum amount that a county can charge for a tag over the original cost is $5.00.

ORDERS/SHIPPING: Address on order form should be SHIPPING address, please NO PO BOX addresses - we are not able to verify delivery to PO Boxes other than received at the post office. Orders received in September will ship the second week of October. Orders received in October/November will ship by the end of the second week of November- please keep this in mind when scheduling your validation dates!

VALIDATION: All official validation and tagging should occur on or before 11:59 p.m. June 30, 2024 in the presence of the County Swine Validation Committee.  Under no circumstances should tags be handed out for offsite tagging.

 



2024 Texas Swine Validation Ordering/Process Information      

Only the Swine Validation Chairman from each county may order tags.  Once the order has been placed, print the invoice and mail payment to the State office:

                   Texas FFA Association
                   ATTN:  2024 Swine Validation Program - (your county name)
                   614 E. 12th Street
                   Austin, Texas  78701


COST:        April                     $15.00 each
                     May                     $18.00 each
                     June                    $18.00 each


                    ***All orders will ship 2-3 day priority mail.***

ORDERS/SHIPPING: Address on order form should be SHIPPING address, please NO PO BOX addresses - we are not able to verify delivery to PO Boxes other than received at the post office. Orders received in April will begin shipping on May 17, 2024. Orders received in May/June will ship by the end of the second week of June - please keep this in mind when scheduling your validation dates!

VALIDATION: All official validation and tagging should occur on or before 11:59 pm June 30, 2024 in the presence of the County Swine Validation Committee.  Under no circumstances should tags be handed out for offsite tagging.  All hogs are required to have tags placed in their ears at the time of state validation. Pigs entering the holding pens without a state validation tag in their ear will be ineligible for show.

After Validation Occurs      

REMINDER:  It is the duty of the county chair to input all swine tag assignment information into the swine validation website.  http://validate.texasffa.org/

Materials Must Be Postmarked by July 15, 2024.

NEW THIS YEAR


We are no longer using an EAR NOTCH FORM. We are only using a DNA Hair Envelope.

Hair envelopes
 - Must have Last Name, First Name (printed and signed).
 - Filed NUMERICALLY and secured with rubber bands please.
   

Signed Ethics Policies
 - Signature page only
 - Filed alphabetically and secured.
 - PLEASE DO NOT STAPLE TO VALIDATION FORMS

Signed Committee Forms
 - This form is located on the swine validation website http://validate.texasffa.org.   Click on 2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas Livestock Show Validation. Once you have logged in please scroll to the bottom - the Committee Forms are at the bottom of the forms section.  Per the Swine Validation Guidelines, there must be a minimum of three members on the validation committee.  Any forms returned not meeting this requirement will not be accepted and must be corrected and resubmitted to complete validation.

Tag Assignment Form
 - Please include a printed copy of the tag assignment form with the rest of the validation materials. Once all exhibitor information is entered, click on 'print tag assignment listing' in the upper right corner of your screen. This form will be used as the master materials check-in list for your county.

Mail all required materials to:

Texas FFA Association
ATTN:  2024 Swine Validation Program - (your county name)
614 E. 12th Street
Austin, Texas  78701



Change of Ownership, Corrections, Replacement Tags      

Ear-Notch Corrections and Ear Tag Replacements

There are no longer forms to be completed for ear notch corrections or ear tag replacements - there is now a link in the swine validation database for the county coordinator to enter this information directly into the tag assignment listing.  Once logged in to the validation system, there is a link below the tag assignment listing for both ear notch corrections and ear tag replacements.  Simply click on the link and fill out the information directly on the screen.  Once the information is entered in the boxes, click on 'Confirm' and the corrections are entered into the system.  No signatures or forms are required!

-  Replacement ear tags may be purchased at the show for $25.00 each, payable by cash, debit or credit.  No personal checks will be accepted.

Tag Alterations      
Any change to size, shape, form or color will void the tag---tag will be replaced at the stock show & replacement cost will be charged to the individual. Your cooperation in this process is greatly appreciated!
This includes tags that have changed colors due to dying and/or painting pigs! Pigs entering the scales with a color change will have the tag replaced on the scales prior to entering the show ring.

FAQ's for 2024 Swine Validation Program FAQ's      

I need a replacement tag but my county does not have any extras - what do I do?

Don't worry!  Replacement tags can be purchased at shows upon check-in for $25.00 each. We are now accepting cash, credit and debit. CHECKS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTD.

If a tag is lost, can I go to a breeder or a veterinarian to get an 840 replacement tag? 

No! Any lost tag must be replaced with a tag issued from Texas FFA and fall within our series of numbers. If you use a tag obtained from a breeder or veterinarian as your validation tag, you will be DISQUALIFIED from validation. NO EXCEPTIONS!

What shows are participating in the 2024 Swine Validation program?

Participating shows include the Hill Country Grandstand, Fort Worth Barrow Show, San Antonio Jr. Gilt Shows and Barrow Shows, Texas Elite Gilt Shows, San Angelo Gilt and Barrow Shows, Houston Gilt and Barrow Shows, Rio Grande Valley Gilt and Barrow Show, Rodeo Austin Barrow Show, State Fair of Texas and Heart of Texas.

Is validation required for registered purebred gilts and/or crossbred gilts?

All gilts, registered and crossbred must be state validated in order to show at any of the 2024 participating in the Texas Swine Validation Program. Full validation includes the uploading of registration papers with an ownership date on or before June 30, 2024 and a litter registration) on or before July 1, 2024.

Have any rules changed for the 2024 Show participating in the Swine Validation Program?

Please reference all stock show rules for barrows and gilts. Barrow weights have changed at some shows. Registered gilt rules have changed as well and will be showing by weights at some shows. Please reference the links listed above for stock show rules.



   
 
  Corporate Sponsors
     
  Justin Boots  
   

  Contact
     
Tammy Glascock
(procedural and validation information)
Swine Validation Coordinator
Texas FFA Association
Cell:  940-367-6245
Email: tammy@texasffa.org

Carolee Frampton
(ordering and payment information)
Budget & Finance Coordinator
Texas FFA Association
Office: 512-480-8045
Fax: 512-476-2894
Email: cframpton@texasffa.org
 
   

  Important Dates
     

2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas Livestock Shows Validation Deadline Dates:

Tag Orders Open:

April 1 to April 30, 2024

Late Tag Orders:

May 1 - June 7, 2024

Last Day to Order: 

June 7, 2024


Validation Scheduling Deadline:
Scheduled validation dates must be submitted via email by April 15, 2024 to tammy@texasffa.org using the County Validation Date form.

Validation Deadline: June 30, 2024

All Payments/Reports/Paperwork Postmarked By: July 15, 2024

All Corrections Due: July 30, 2024

Validation System Closes: 

June 7, 2024

*New Rule for Gilt Exhibitors at the 2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas Livestock Shows

Registered and crossbred gilts showing at the 2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas Livestock Shows must be validated.

Ownership of gilts must be recorded in the name of a junior exhibitor and/or multiple junior members who are all in the same family ) in the Herd Book of their respected breed association on or before July 1, 2024.

All Purebred REGISTERED GILTS showing at the above mentioned shows must  upload registration papers into the Texas FFA Swine Validation System.  The ownership deadline is on or before July 15, 2024.

*** NEW ***

Gilts showing in the shows listed below can and may be family registered as long as all family members are eligible as junior exhibitors per the junior rules of each show.

Participating shows: 2024 State Fair of Texas / Heart of Texas Livestock Shows

*ORIGINAL REGISTRATION PAPERS  must be uploaded into the  Texas FFA Swine Validation System (website) by July 15, 2024.   

 




 
   

  Swine Validation
     
Visit the website:

   

    Gilt Paper Upload Link

      http://validate.texasffa.org/gilt
 
   

  Cattle, Sheep, Goat Validation
     
Please reference the following documetns for cattle, sheep and goat validations.
Sheep/Goat Validation Guidelines
Sheep/Goat Validation Procedures
Sheep/Goat Validation Upload Instructions
 
   

     
     
 
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Phone: (512) 480-8045
Fax: (512) 476-2894
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